Multiteatro is a theater complex located at 1283 Avenida Corrientes, in Buenos Aires, Argentina on the site of the historical Teatro Smart and Teatro and Cinema Blanca Podestá.

History

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Teatro Smart

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In 1914, the Italian entrepreneur Domingo Perrupato erected the Teatro Smart Palacio at 1274 Avenida Corrientes.[1] In 1921, it was remodeled and in 1924, it was acquired by Blanca Podestá and her husband, Alberto Ballerini, who decided to move the theater to a new location. The original site became the Teatro Cómico, now the Teatro Lola Membrives [es], and the new location, on the opposite side of the street, became the Teatro Smart.[2] Many of the stars of the Golden Age of Argentine Theater, including Luis Arata,[3] Amelia Bence[4] Olinda Bozán,[5] Gloria Guzmán,[6] Mecha Ortiz[7] Enrique Muiño,[8] Florencio Parravicini,[9] Juan Carlos Thorry[6] performed there.

Teatro Blanca Podestá

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In 1967, upon the death of Blanca Podestá, the theater was renamed in her honor as the Teatro Blanca Podestá.[10] It was the first theater to bear the name of an actress.[11] Throughout the 1970s, stage productions were held such as Coqueluche (1971-1972) with Ricardo Bauleo, Thelma Biral and Aurora Del Mar;[12] Las brujas de Salem (1972-1974) with Alfredo Alcón, Norma Barcaicoa and Alicia Bruzzo;[13] La idiota (1975) with Thelma Biral, Luis Medina Castro and Marta Cipriano;[14] Lorenzaccio (1978) with Alfredo Alcón, Aldo Barbero, Rodolfo Bebán and Marta Bianchi;[15] which continued into the 1980s with plays like Hotel Parliament (1986-1987) with Gerardo Romano, Arturo Maly, and Marta González.[16]

The theater was taken over by Carlos Rottemberg, who announced in 2000 plans for a major renovation of the theater. His plans included increasing the number of seats from one room with 700 chairs to four rooms with capacity for 1376 seats.[17]

Renaming

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In March, 2001, Rottemberg announced the remodeled theater complex would open in April and be called the Multiteatro because no one remembers the people the buildings were historically named after.[18] On 10 April 2001 amid dignitaries, city officials and stars like Mirtha Legrand, Norma Pons, Linda Peretz, Graciela Dufau and China Zorrilla, the new theater opened. In one room "Pingüinos" with Pablo Rago and Valentina Bassi was premiering[19] and the other salons featured "Brujas" with Norma Pons, "Había una vez" a one-man show starring China Zorrilla, and "Los galanes peinan canas" directed by Manuel González Gil and starring Rodolfo Bebán, Guillermo Bredeston and Claudio García Satur.[20]

References

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  1. ^ Contreras, Leonel (2014). Historia cronológica de la ciudad de Buenos Aires 1536-2014 (in Spanish). Argentina: Editorial Dunken. p. 325. ISBN 978-9-870-27306-6. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  2. ^ "Historia" (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Lola Membrives Teatro. Archived from the original on 23 July 2013. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  3. ^ Pellettieri, Osvaldo (2002). La emancipación cultural (1884 - 1930) (in Spanish) (1 ed.). Buenos Aires: Galerna [u.a.] p. 320. ISBN 978-9-505-56437-8.
  4. ^ Bence, Amelia; Etchelet, Raúl (2011). La niña del umbral: Amelia Bence: memorias (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Corregidor. p. 52. ISBN 978-9-500-51934-2.
  5. ^ "Pellettieri (2002)", pp. 303-304
  6. ^ a b Pellettieri, Osvaldo; Díaz, Silvina; Fischer, Patricia Verónica; Heredia, María Florencia (2006). Teatro del Pueblo : una utopía concretada (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Buenos Aires: Galerna. p. 267. ISBN 978-9-505-56061-5. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  7. ^ "item 52.411". Boletín Oficial de la República Argentina (in Spanish). Ed. 84 (Núm. 13.315). Buenos Aires, Argentina: República Argentina: 16825. 14 December 1938. Retrieved 24 August 2015. Mujeres. Comedia en tres actos. 102 páginas. Mecanografíadas. Versión castellana de Francisco Madrid Alier. Claire Boothe. Dada en el Teatro Smart, por la compañía de Mecha Ortiz. Bunos Aires, 1938.
  8. ^ Pellettieri, Osvaldo; Burgos, Nidia (2007). Historias del Teatro Argentino: en las provincia, Volumen iis (in Spanish) (1a ed.). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Galerna S.R.L. p. 524. ISBN 978-9-505-56507-8.
  9. ^ "Pellettieri & Burgos (2007)" p. 319
  10. ^ "Blanca Podestá" (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Efemérides. 17 May 2015. Retrieved 24 August 2015.[permanent dead link]
  11. ^ "Teatros" (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Viajar Hoy. Retrieved 24 August 2015.
  12. ^ "Coqueluche (1971/1972)" (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Nuestros Actores. 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  13. ^ "Las brujas de Salem (1972/1974)" (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Nuestros Actores. 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  14. ^ "La idiota (1975)" (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Nuestros Actores. 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  15. ^ "Lorenzaccio (1978)" (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Nuestros Actores. 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  16. ^ "Hotel Parliament (1986/1987)" (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina: Nuestros Actores. 2010. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  17. ^ Freire, Susana (6 July 2000). "Festejos y un gran anuncio" (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina: La Nacion. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  18. ^ Cruz, Alejandro (17 March 2001). "Rottemberg inaugura su multiteatro" (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina: La Nacion. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  19. ^ Cruz, Alejandro (11 April 2001). "Quedó inaugurado el Multiteatro" (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina: La Nacion. Retrieved 25 August 2015.
  20. ^ "Gran fiesta en la calle Corrientes" (in Spanish). Buenos Aires, Argentina: La Prensa. 2001. Retrieved 25 August 2015.